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Annada Didi 'That was merely a trick of the hand. Indra,' she said: 'there was no mantra in it. I know nothing of snake-charming.'

'If you don't,' he asked bluntly, 'why did you deceive me, both of you, and trick me of so much money?'

Didi could not give any reply at once. She seemed to me to be making an effort to collect herself. 'Cheats and humbugs!' cried Indra harshly. 'All right, I'll teach you a lesson, I will.'

A kerosene lamp was burning quite near: by its light I could see Didi's face became white in an instant with a death-like pallor. 'We are only snake-charmers, dear,' she said, timid and hesitant; 'deceit is our daily trade—'

'I will teach you your daily trade. Come, Srikanta, we shouldn't have touched the shadow of these rascally swindlers. Knaves and humbugs!' Indra seized my hand with sudden force and started up dragging me along with him. I cannot blame Indra, for he had built up many hopes and many ambitious castles in the air, which he now suddenly found dashed to the ground in the twinkling of an eye. But when I looked at Didi, I could not turn my eyes away. Freeing myself with an effort from Indra's grip, I went and placed my five rupees before her, saying, 'I brought this for you: won't you take it?'

Indra pounced upon the rupees, saying 'Won't she! You don't know, Srikanta, how much money these people have cheated me of by their mummery and their fibs. If they die of want and starvation, that's just what I should like to see them do.'

'No, Indra, give me the money,' I said, pressing his hands: 'I brought it expressly for Didi—'